- Defend the home turf, Tribe! Fresh off Friday's 62-48 victory over UNCW, W&M is 4-0 at Kaplan Arena in 2023, and the defense has been absolutely dominant throughout that stretch. In its last three games at home, the Green and Gold have led wire-to-wire while holding opponents to under 40% from the floor in three of those four wins. During the win streak, opponents have scored, on average, 56.7 points per game and turned the ball over nearly 18 times. And from 3-point range? W&M's defense has been in shutdown mode, allowing only 13 total treys at home this month.
- HER-story. Sunday afternoon's game marks the Tribe's celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Prior to tip-off, athletes from many of W&M's women's sports squads will participate in a sports clinic on campus, hosting area kids and helping spark their interest in athletics. Meanwhile, W&M hoops will don special pre-game shirts honoring the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. To hear what the opportunity to play collegiate sports meant to some of our basketball alums, check out this video.
- She might be a freshman, but she's playing like a vet. After recording multiple career highs in the Tribe's wins over Hampton (1/19/23) and Charleston (1/22/23) —and earning CAA Rookie of the Week honors for her efforts — Alexa Mikeska continued to pack her stat sheet on Friday night. The first-year guard from California finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and only turned the ball over once in a team-high 35 minutes of work. In the Tribe's four-game winning streak, Mikeska is averaging nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two turnovers a night.
- Let's have a deep conversation—specifically about William & Mary's bench depth. Against UNCW, every player who dressed for the game saw at least three minutes of action. Of those 13 players? Eleven of them scored. Perhaps more impressive, though: 11 of those 13 players hauled in a rebound, 10 dished out an assist, and seven recorded steals. Of course, taking advantage of minutes has been a trend for the Tribe this season. In 19 games, five Tribe athletes have posted career highs in minutes, including junior Rebekah Frisby-Smith, who has topped her personal mark four times. Plus, the backcourt duo of Riley Casey and Sydney Wagner ranks in the CAA top-10 in minutes per game (Casey: 33.8, Wagner: 33.2).
- Despite playing their fewest minutes of the season on Friday, Wagner and Casey are still packing their personal stat sheet this year. The preseason All-CAA First-Team tandem sits top-10 in the CAA in points (Casey: 16.8, Wagner: 14.4) and 3-point field goals per game (Casey: 2.8, Wagner: 2.1), while Casey leads the conference in 3-point percentage (.415) They're also the only two W&M players to start all 19 games. Nationally, Casey is 33rd in 3-point percentage and 21st in 3-pointers per game.
- Delaware arrives in Williamsburg following a 63-60 home loss to Elon on Friday night. The duo of Jewel Smalls and Klarke Sconiers, which has been the spark behind Delaware's offense all season, led the Blue Hens with 12 and 11 points each. Sconiers averages 12 points each time she steps onto the court, good for 18th in the CAA, while Smalls' 2.8 3-point field goals per game sit fourth in the conference.
- Casey continues to add her name to William & Mary women's basketball lore. Her 31 points against Drexel (1/15/23) marked the first time in program history a player has scored 30-plus four times in a season. Her seven 3-pointers against the Dragons and Charleston (1/8/23) also match a career-high and Kaplan Arena record. Additionally, she became the second W&M player to record back-to-back 30-plus scoring performances with 31 against George Mason and Army. In those games, Casey shot 53.8% from the field.
- We're walking the line this season. Free throw line that is. W&M is first in the CAA in free throw percentage (.778), while Wagner is first (.898) among all players in the conference. Against the rest of the country, the Tribe ranks 22nd.
- The wonder from down under! Australia native Frisby-Smith continued her breakout winter this weekend, scoring a career-high 12 against both Hampton and Charleston. The team's X-factor, according to coach Erin Dickerson Davis, Frisby-Smith finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals against UNCW. She also sits 22nd in the CAA in 3-pointers per game (1.2)
- Wagner has recorded several big-time career scoring marks this year. At Charleston (1/22/23), she posted her 21st career 20-point game, the fourth time she scored 20 or more this season. Against Hampton, she recorded her 60th career double-digit scoring performance. Wagner has also dished out two or more assists 14 times and notched six multi-steal games.
